Kettlebells From the Center - Dynami

I recently attended FMS 2 with Brett Jones where as a class we worked through screens/breakouts and sampled a progressive plan to correct movement patterns. Brett basically showed us the importance of working the space between correction and conditioning and that the two are mutually exclusive. I am excited to jump right into power exercises, but over the past few weeks gone back through the "Secrets Series" and Kettlebells from the Ground Up, improved upon some of my weak points and regained some lost shoulder stability that was revealed from my FMS 2 experience.

I am now working through the Dynami DVD and Manual, and the progressions from the FMS - Advanced Corrections and KS work so well to prepare you and in many ways are a great workout by themselves. I have several steps to work on in this program before I dive into some power exerises but I have a clear plan laid out by this product. In Kettlebells From the Center - Dynami you will find the depth, attention to detail, and progressions that made Kettlebells from the Ground Up so successful!

Gray and Brett have done it again. Clear, concise and detailed, this DVD contains all the progressions you need to train your push, pull movements and lifts.
I love the progression; starting with the movement pattern, moving to slow strength, symmetry and ending with the dynamic movements.

This DVD/Book is a must have for trainers, athlete's and anyone who wants to develop power and strength from the inside out.

It is also a great reminder to all those who like to rush into training: are you functionally ready for that exercise? If not, you may want to go back to "Kettlebells From the Ground Up".

The first day i received my order i opened it up & watched/read everything & this has taken me to a whole new level of understanding with expert Instruction guiding me every step of the way with correct movements. This is very Valuable & will help me achieve my physical goals step by step i can assure 110%

To begin my review of 'Kettlebells From the Center - Dynami,' I'd like to start with an excerpt from another book.

"Why," you ask?

To illustrate what I believe to be one of the most outstanding characteristics of the product.

While there are many books, classes, and DVDs that inspire a person to continue their kettlebell training, how many inspire (or, in this instance, require) a person to start their training over, from the beginning?

In his book, 'Zen in the Martial Arts,' (1979) Joe Hyams recounts the story of his first meeting with Bruce Lee. Now, I apologize for using a figure that is arguably the most overused in advertising products for strength, power, and personal development, but the lesson described here undoubtedly applies:

"Do you realize you will have to unlearn all you have learned and start over again?"

"No," I said. Bruce smiled and placed his hand lightly on my shoulder. "Let me tell you a story my sifu told me," he said. "It is about a Japanese Zen master who received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

It was obvious to the master from the start of the conversation that the professor was not so much interested in learning about Zen as he was in impressing the master with his opinions and knowledge. The master listened patiently and finally suggested they have tea. The master poured the visitor's cup full and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the cup overflowing until he could no longer restrain himself. 'The cup is overfull, no more will go in!'

'Like this cup,' the master said, 'you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?'

Bruce studied my face. "You understand the point?"

"Yes," I said. "You want me to empty my mind of past knowledge and old habits so that I will be open to new learning."

"Precisely," said Bruce. "And now you are ready to begin your first lesson."

Like many, I've traversed the Program Minimum, the Rite of Passage, and Viking Warrior Conditioning (among other protocols), with periods of improvement, followed by plateaus and decreased performance. 'Kettlebells From the Center - Dynami' shows that without applying proper pattern building, slow strength skills, and symmetry, the development of power is difficult, if not impossible. Unfortunately, my experience shows that it is injuries and plateaus that are easy.

Bruce, Brett, Gray, and Jeff, I too understand the point. There are times where one must start over.

Thank you 'Kettlebells From the Center - Dynami.' Not just for reiterating this valuable lesson, but for also providing the extraordinary means to apply it. With an empty cup and truly inspired, I look forward to beginning my kettlebell training, again.

With your demo of the deep squat I was able to correct my form on the first attempt. many thanks, and Merry Christmas.

Where to start, I am a big fan of Brett and Gray's products. I have them all. When a new one comes out, I buy it.

Before buying this product I had (thought I had) a pretty decent swing, I don't push press because my FMS score for the squat is 1.

I decided to follow every coaching point in the swing DVD to the letter. I dropped the heavy swings and went back to patterning, and towel swings. I only spent 1 week doing this. Every day mind you.

When decided the pick up a heavier bell - 40kg - the thing moved effortlessly. The movement was so much cleaner. This is a direct result of some of following the coaching points on the DVD. I was able to make a connection and have the "ah-ha" moment.

The push press DVD is also excellent. I score 3/3 on shoulder mob. So I am able to press the KB hardstyle and in the different kneeling positions. These are detailed on the DVD. The coaching points are direct, clear and easy to follow.

I always thought the press was a simple movement. Just lift it overhead. WRONG.....you need to be taught how to do it. This product does that.

You know what.......even the 3 movement prep exercises on the 2nd DVD are worth the money. The body is loving them !

"Kalos Sthenos" is the gold standard for learning/teaching the Getup.
"Dynami" does not disappoint as the next in a series in its treatment of the swing and push-press.
You could spend a life-time with kettlebells doing nothing but these exercises & their variations. You will move better, get stronger and more fit. You will never be bored.
Both book/DVD sets are must-have items for anyone serious about kettlebells!

Thanks for putting this information in print and on video. It's very helpful to be able to review the basics and watch the techniques demonstrated. Having this information is very helpful not only in my kettle bell training but, also in my other sport, Triathlon. Knowing where "power leakages" are and how to correct the problem is valuable information to have if improvement is a desired result. Once again thanks for another vauable tool for training. L. E. Koch Marietta, Ga.

As a professional trainer, I have made it a practice to hang out with people smarter than me and I have my own list of "Honored Masters Smartness" that I call "Gym Rats with Brains" with such honorees as Pavel, Stuart McGill, Dan John, Gary Gray, Bill Hartman, Mike Robertson, Alwyn Cosgrove and of course, Brett Jones and Gray Cook. All of these guys have a tremendous passion for fitness, a deep thirst for knowledge and the unique ability to educate and inspire others.

Brett & Gray's Kettlebells From the Center - Dynami is another example of their depth of knowledge and presentation skills that make the material both understandable and relevant to anyone serious about their fitness and training.

Kettlebells from the Center - Dynami follows the themes estabished in Kalos Sthenos and Club Swinging Essentials of the importance of the development of precise movement patterns, the cultivation of skill and the patience to allow performance/strength to come natually as a result of the first two elements. These critical training concepts are almost unknown or if not ignored in a culture that wants to be "bigger, faster, stronger and prettier" over night, if not sooner. Ironically, without precise patterns and skill, performance will be limited and the risk of injury will increase. It's hard to look better naked in a mirror if you can't train.

Kettlebells from the Center - Dynami is also rich in instructional detail and training progressions to match the philosophical foundation. If you're a fitness professional you must know this material. If you're serious about your training, you'll be much better if you did.

After Gray Cook and Brett Jones came out with their great DVD on the Get Up, I changed the way I approached this movement and taught this fine exercise. Frankly, I thought the thing was a waste of time before the DVD and manual came out, but now the Get Up is a major part of every workout I do or I coach and the small additions, the subtleties, continue to make me appreciate this more and more.

So, when I first heard about Dynami, to be honest, I was a little surprised. I talk with Brett all the time and I have been with Gray in Long Beach and St. Paul in the past few months and neither mentioned anything. For full candor, I also purchased Dynami as soon as I could because of a reason I will talk about in a moment and I did NOT use my code to get a discount. I have recently been called a shill on some websites and, if you ask my wife, this seems rather insane considering how much I give away for free...so, I don't want anyone thinking I have any vested interest in this DVD and manual.

What made me want to buy it was this: this is a DVD "honoring" the Swing and the Push Press. I love programs with two movements: Swing and Get Up (Program Minimum), Press and Deadlift (Power to the People), and Squat Snatch and Power Clean (my senior year in college). Moreover, the ad copy mentioned developing the slow deadlift to the explosive swing and patterning the squat into the push press. This is the kind of thing I love to see.

The great gift of Gray and Brett is the explanation of things you "know" but you really don't know. In the discussion of the Goblet Squat, and, frankly, I know the Goblet Squat, the authors take a moment to discuss an "authentic squat" and how putting a wedge under the heel can help this. Okay, I knew that. Gray then goes on to explain how the weight in the GS counters the bodyweight enough...just like a wedge under the heels. It was a complete "aha" moment for me and it really gave me clarity about the progression that I have come to adopt in the squat over all these years. I "knew" I had to coach it this way, but I didn't know "why."

There is a four part formula that dominates the texts: Patterning-Slow Strength-Symmetry-Power Dynami. In this material, you get a short CK FMS program, an introduction to the four GREAT lifts (Deadlift, Swing, Squat and Press/Push Press), very simple drills to teach yourself symmetry and then you give your body permission to explode through the movements. Like the KS Get Up materials before, you can find a few places where you can honestly just turn off the DVD or put down the manual and play around on the floor with a twist or movement that simply deserves to be done. I would recommend viewing this with a wall, a kettlebell and a stick nearby. A soft floor is probably a good idea for a few things, too.

There is something I really like in the book and I think it comes from Jeff O'Connor. A lot of the chapters have a "Coach's Corner" where they go into a lot of depth about something that might seem minor at first. One, for example, dealt with the eyes and the example of using football players really resonated with me. The answer is not always a simple "do this" for all populations.

Dynami is a tool kit for some of the most important moves in strength sport. Brett and Gray have this excellent synergy as they work and I feel like they are covering basic mobility and elite strength training literally in the same sentence. So, I am, like with Kalos Sthenos, I will be coming back to watch the DVD over and over. I already told Brett that I want to take a pair of scissors to the manual so I can chop it up to bring to the gym and just follow along.

I have been wondering out loud for a while that this is the direction we need to take in the field of strength and conditioning. Rather than coming up with a new goofy device each week or a secret protocol, we should adopt the approach of the RKC "School of Strength" and get back to a systematic approach to learning.

There is much, much more to Dynami than I am sharing. The programs in the back would be a good idea for a Highland Gamer, thrower or football coach to swim through for a few hours. These "four" movements (and I am skipping ALL the single leg, single arm, bottoms up (and more) information in my review) are the basis of superior athletic performance. With the strategies in the book, you can also use these same movements for assessing asymmetries and basic patterning issues.

Certainly, I am impressed by this work. The problem with reviewing it is stated in the manual: the devil is in the details. This book is about details. Every minute you spend getting it right in the beginning is worth hours in NOT rehabbing later. My review, at best, just skims the surface here.

I think this DVD demands viewing by everyone in our field and should be considered mandatory by anyone interested in understanding strength, the kettlebell and performance. I give it my full professional and personal recommendation and I encourage people to BUY it who want to improve their own skills in the field. (This includes my interns and friends who "borrow" my items. I have purchased several dozen copies of "Keys to Progress" and "Power to the People" and "The Linear Approach to the Discus." I fear I shall never see them again. Moreover, I didn't even have a copy of my own book until a few weeks ago as people steal them from my home. It is perfectly possible to purchase something for yourself and not steal my copies. Thank you)

I strongly encourage those interested in human performance to watch this DVD and read the manual.